When Joe Flacco inked his one-year deal with the Browns this offseason, many in Berea penciled him in as the de facto starter. After all, he brought veteran presence, postseason pedigree, and a calming influence to the quarterback room. To spice it up, rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel grabbed the media coverage during the team drills. Kenny Pickett, on the other hand, was just biding his time, letting the noise swirl around him.
“That’s the plan, man. I’m not going there to hang out,” Pickett said ahead of the OTAs. “I want to go play. I’m excited, been working hard for it, taking it a day at a time.” The confidence wasn’t just talk. According to veteran NFL insider Mary Kay Cabot, Pickett isn’t just in the mix—he’s actually leading the charge. “I know Kenny Pickett heads in as the frontrunner to win the starting job at the outset,” she reported. “He’ll take the initial first-team reps in OTAs and probably the mandatory minicamp, and it seems like it’s his job to try to keep for now.”
As OTAs and minicamp unfolded, Pickett quietly began to make his mark—and by the end, he was hard to ignore. Completing 60.3% of his passes (38-of-63) with seven touchdowns and zero interceptions, the QB posted the second-best numbers in the QB group, trailing only rookie standout Shedeur. His poise, decision-making, and command of the offense started turning heads in Berea. Fast forward to now, and one question still continues to linger: Is Kevin Stefanski really going to roll into Week 1 with Kenny Pickett under center?
Ahead of the training camp, CBS released a report and predicted that Cleveland would start with Pickett in week 1. But there’s a caveat. “Once the regular season comes around, there will be a leash. Pickett will still be the starter come Week 1,” Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports reported. Translation? The team has confidence in Pickett, but not enough to make him start in straight 17 games. If he fails and struggles, Stefanski and Co. will replace him.
Then Flacco could be the starter, and count Shedeur and Gabriel in the race as well. Well, it’s hard to argue with that line of thinking. Kerr observed that the Browns didn’t give up much for Pickett. We’re talking about a fifth-round pick and third-year quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. That means Cleveland doesn’t owe him anything. He’s a former first-round pick. He’s a talented quarterback, he can succeed in Stefanski’s offense, and the head coach has confidence in him.
“I like how Kenny’s wired. He’s a really tough kid. He’s a gym rat, he’s another guy that works extremely hard at his craft,” the head coach noted. But for the time being, his place as the QB1 is far from guaranteed for the entire season. Meanwhile, the end seems palpable for another quarterback in Cleveland.
Deshaun Watson: A big swing and miss
Deshaun Watson in the Browns quarterback room isn’t a has-been; he’s a never-was. “We took a big swing and miss with Deshaun,” Browns’ owner, Jimmy Haslam, said. “We thought we had the quarterback, we didn’t, and we gave up a lot of draft picks to get him. So we’ve got to dig ourselves out of that hole.” The frustration, a regret, to be precise, is real. The Browns gave him a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed deal. In return?
Three seasons, 19 games, just a little bit over 3K yards, and just 19 touchdowns, with a future still in limbo. What’s even striking is that even though Cleveland has a crowded quarterback room, Watson is still optimistic about his return and getting better. “They don’t think I can get back to where I was. I know, and I believe. I know I’m going to be way better than before,” he said earlier this offseason.
NFL, American Football Herren, USA New York Giants at Cleveland Browns Sep 22, 2024 Cleveland, Ohio, USA Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson 4 after the game against the New York Giants at Huntington Bank Field. Cleveland Huntington Bank Field Ohio USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xScottxGalvinx 20240922_sns_bg7_00312
Fast forward to now, and he isn’t even a part of Stefanski’s plan. “I really think the ship has sailed here for the most part for Deshaun Watson. don’t envision him playing this season,” the Cleveland insider, Mary Kay Cabot, spoke candidly on 92.3 The Fan’s The Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima. “And I think it’s going to be a long shot even next season if he’s still on the roster…He’s in he’s helping guys. But as far as actually getting on the football field, I don’t really see that happening,” she added.
She isn’t saying this hypothetically. She’s straight-up admitted: don’t expect the veteran quarterback in Berea anymore. The 29-year-old is giving tips in O-line meetings and helping young guys, and that seems his only job at the moment. As Garrett Bush clarified, “They done reached out to Deshaun Watson, said, ‘listen, we’re not going to get you up out of here, out of here.’ What we’re going to do is…you mentor, you rehab, and spin it.” The vision seems clear: Kevin Stefanski and the Browns are heading towards the 2025 season, and Watson isn’t part of the roster.
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